Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

My pick of the lot is easily the bonkers Mini Cooper S - not surprising, as we handsome devils generally like to hang out with each other.

It wears the respectable veneer of a retro classic, but underneath, it is a proper thug.

While all the three Minis are eyeball magnets on Indian roads, the Cooper S has a menacing look to it, with additional intakes on the bonnet and on the front diffuser to snort more air in and plenty of other go-faster bits.

What about those two racing stripes on the hood? It may not be proven, but hey, they make the car go faster, don't they? Peer under the hood and you can see what transforms a bread-and-butter Mini into a potent Cooper S.

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

The four-cylinder 1600cc petrol engine that powers Minis has been co-developed by BMW and Peugeot Citroen. In the Cooper S application, it gets a twin-scroll turbocharger with intercooler to make things really, really interesting.

When we tested the acceleration times of the Mini Cooper S for Business Standard Motoring magazine, we were stunned by its velocity.

Note: This image was taken from Mini's US site, hence it has a left-hand drive.

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

As it is taller (okay, the better ground clearance is a positive), the go-kart like handling that characterises the Cooper S is nowhere to be seen.

Consequently, it is a Mini just by name and a host of design details, and not by character.

However, the Countryman is immensely practical - you can squeeze in five adults in decent comfort and the rear seats also fold down to create more than enough room to move your house. But you don't need a Mini to do that, do you?

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

There is a wealth of details and initially it can get a bit confusing. You need time to figure out where the controls are located and they are all true to the retro theme of the Mini, with mock-toggle switches and plastic panels that are painted to resemble metal.

The dials are all funky and the dinner-plate sized central display on the dash harks back to the original Mini design. And at night, it is like the Milky Way.

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

The convertible roof is activated by an electro-hydraulic mechanism that folds it away neatly at the back and hey presto, in 15 seconds, it's wind-in-the-scanty-hair motoring.

In case you are really conscious of your scalp showing, the roof comes with a sliding function where only the front section slides back to give you a targa-top kind of feeling. That's one compromise I could live with.

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

It does what it's supposed to very well, and that is cruise around the city at night at regular speeds or go on early morning drives on the outskirts. So expect a wind chill and not an adrenaline rush.

The gearbox of course is a bugbear, but for the Convertible it is not such a big issue because it is anyway a chilled-out vehicle.

Mini Cooper S: The rich man's Swift

The Mini range is not cheap. The Cooper S (what I call the rich man's Swift) retails for Rs 28.6 lakh, while the Countryman is a hefty Rs 32.8 lakh and the Convertible brings the roof down at Rs 30.7 lakh.